ICC Note: The ongoing war in Yemen has caused a massive humanitarian crisis, but for Christians it has forced them into hiding or else makes them a target for increasingly active Islamic extremist groups. The small number of Christians still in Yemen seek to remain “invisible” in order to stay alive.
04/16/2015 Yemen (Catholic Herald) ‘You are not alone,’ Bishop Paul Hinder tells faithful who must remain ‘invisible’ in order to stay safe
The few Christians remaining in war-torn Yemen gather for liturgies and prayer meetings in the basement of a villa in the city of Sanaa where they remain “invisible” in order to stay safe, Bishop Paul Hinder has told Vatican Radio.
Bishop Hinder, the apostolic vicar of southern Arabia, said that it is not specifically Christians who are at risk in the conflict, but foreigners who have been told to leave the country.
All of the country’s Catholics are foreigners, mostly foreign workers from India, he said.
As more civilians are killed in the crossfire of fighting between the government and armed rebel forces, even humanitarian organisations have called on their aid workers to leave the area for their own safety.
The United Nations has called for at least a temporary ceasefire to give foreigners a chance to leave, but Bishop Hinder said he is not convinced the warring sides will agree.
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